


Circle Back

by KALA



Series: Circle Back Series [1]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Chocobros - Freeform, Episode Ignis hair- is that a tag? It should be, Fix-It, Happy AU, I am a sucker for Fix-it Fics, IgNoct, M/M, Prompto is a well meaning shit, Wedding Planning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-23
Updated: 2018-04-23
Packaged: 2019-04-26 15:46:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,959
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14405343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KALA/pseuds/KALA
Summary: In which Noctis realizes he's probably the worst fiance ever and Ignis is one thousand percent done with early-morning guilt sessions. Fix it fic. Happy AU.





	Circle Back

**Author's Note:**

> So I have this thing for hair-down Ignis and I am thoroughly offended we never had that option in the game because I hated his gelled hair. Episode Ignis gave me new life for this fandom. Also this is the first time I have written fanfiction and not original work in a loooong time so please be gentle. 
> 
> May add some more chapters- going into the lore of Happy AU and increasing rating if I do the 'getting together' chapter. I just had this stuck in my head for a while and it was itching to be written. This is sickeningly sweet. I regret nothing.

Ignis went to bed exhausted. 

 

He had been going to sleep later and later ever since the thicket of wedding planning began, and he knew this wedding was either going to kill him or make him kill someone. Jury was still out on which one, but he knew it was inevitable. The wedding planner was at the top of his list, though; she clearly had no idea who she was dealing with or what she was doing. The caterer was a close second, and third was reserved for the entire royal council- barring, of course, his majesty. 

 

Noct? Noct hadn't made the list until that morning. 

 

He had stayed up until his eyes burned and he developed the same pressing headache he got when he was trying to see without his glasses. His first meeting of the day was later than usual. He had stayed up late to finish some decoration planning so he could savour those extra two hours of sleep. It was an indulgence he could hardly afford these days, and so he had been quite looking forward to a full six hours of sleep. 

 

Noctis had kissed him goodnight long before Ignis had even considered closing his eyes for the night. The prince had plans to see Prompto for the first time in weeks. He actually didn't even remember when he had left, only that he felt a warm mark on his cheek absently a few hours later from the kiss. It brought a small smile to his lips when he thought about it, but he had been far too preoccupied to fully enjoy the moment when it happened. 

 

That was why, after only a few short hours of rest, Ignis was surprised to feel the hand absently carding through his hair. He had been in a dead sleep, only slowly coaxed awake by the pressure of a body dipping down the mattress at his side, and a hand gently brushing his bangs back rhythmically. He didn't have to open his eyes to know that it was still the grey early hours, far too soon for Ignis -and especially Noctis- to be awake. The one day of his life that Noct woke up before Ignis was the one day he had plans to sleep in. 

 

It was clear the other man had something he wanted to talk about. He had known the prince for a very long time and although he could be affectionate, it certainly wasn't a defining trait of his. It often meant something was on his mind, or that he was seeking or trying to give comfort. He found social norms of touch something to be mimicked; not casual and relaxed about them like Gladiolus or Prompto. It was something they had in common, which suited them well in their relationship. They touched each other when they wanted, but they weren't handsy or always had to be touching like another overly saccharine couple they knew. 

 

Ignis wasn't awake enough yet to be annoyed, and so his tone was more resigned when he muttered: “What is it, Noct?” 

 

The hand in his hair stilled, but then resumed it's brushing. He'd had a shower before he passed out, and his hair was still damp as it fell into soft wisps on his forehead. He was sleeping on his stomach, arms cradling his pillow as his body angled away from the side of the bed Noctis was sitting on. As he became more aware he could feel the warmth of his lover’s body against his lower back. 

 

“Morning.” Noctis’s voice was soft, reflective. It relaxed something in Ignis’s chest to not hear tension. Whatever it was, it wasn't urgent. 

 

“Why are you awake?” Ignis sighed, hoping that this would be a quick conversation and he could fall back into blissful unconsciousness after. 

 

“I didn't really sleep.” Noct admitted, almost sheepishly. 

 

“Hmm.” The prone form hummed, to show that he was somewhat listening. The question was implied. 

 

“I had a lot on my mind.”

 

_ Clearly _ . Ignis thought dryly.  _ Otherwise you wouldn't be waking me up at this ungodly hour. _

 

“Iggy…” Noct started hesitantly. “You'd tell me if…” He trailed off, lapsing into an uneasy silence. 

 

“What?” He prompted groggily. 

 

“Tell me about the wedding.” Noct said instead, and Ignis’s brain met with with an error message. At first he couldn't even think of what Noctis meant, and then he realized the uneasy tone was his fiance, the man he loved, trying to reconcile something. Were he in a better state of mind other than 'leave me alone, I'm sleeping’ he probably would have met it with more delicacy. Instead nothing but irritation surfaced as a response to the inquiry. 

 

Because Noctis? Could care less about the wedding. Ignis didn't have to ask him to know that (even though he had, and Noct had responded with vague shrugging). It wasn't that he didn't care about the marriage- that he was fully and happily on board with. The event planning itself? Was definitely more Ignis’s forte. Noctis was raised a prince, but of it were up to him everything would focus on comfort. He wore baggy shirts and pants when he had time off, and he certainly didn't care about colour coordination or formal attire and style. He'd wear what someone put him in for an event, but other than that it was dark colours and t-shirts. It was part of the reason why he had steered clear of the wedding planning and left it to Ignis. 

 

Obviously something has changed his mind enough that he had to wake Ignis up and talk to him about it when he should be sleeping. 

 

“Is there a particular part you wish to discuss?” Ignis replied sarcastically. “Some inspiration you wish to share about freesias versus peonies?” 

 

“Those are flowers… right?” Noct sounded extremely out of his element, but there was an earnesty that Ignis hadn't heard before. Something that rang off warning bells in the back of his mind, but he was trying to ignore because there was still a chance he could salvage his sleep. 

 

“Yes, Noct, those are flowers.” He grunted. “please speak  _ plainly _ .” 

 

“It's just…” He had his hand resting at the nape of Ignis’s neck now, playing with the strands there idly. “I realized you've been taking care of me for a long time and… I'm not doing a very good job of taking care of you.” It was vulnerable, but then he added with more force: “And don't give me that 'it's my job’ crap. We're supposed to be partners. I don't want to be one of  _ those _ guys.” 

 

It was too early for this. 

 

How did he navigate this? It was something that was causing Noct quite a bit of distress, but Ignis’s first thought was to find Prompto and strangle him. Of course this had the photographer written all over it. Prompto was always so well meaning, but sometimes he said things that festered in the brain of whoever was on the receiving end. It was something about the earnest eyes and concerned curl of his lip; it threw every certain thing out the window and left anxiety in its wake.

 

“Also, this isn’t Prompto’s fault. I’ve been thinking about it for a while now.”

 

Sometimes it still surprised him that Noctis knew him as well as he knew the prince.  

 

“But he did say something.” Ignis was awake now, and he turned over to reach for his glasses. 

 

Before he could even extend his arm, Noct was already slipping them over his nose, missing one ear as he tried to hook them properly. Ignis reached up and adjusted them, but he aborted sitting up once he saw his fiance’s face. In the dim light of the room, the hollows of his face were even more pronounced. Clearly, he was right when he said he hadn’t slept well. A small flare of sweet exasperation flared through his stomach; he should have just come and slept in here if he was up ruminating. 

 

Their travels to collect the Royal Arms had ruined the four of them. Now that they were back within the royal city’s borders, it was hard to sleep alone. Before the unveiling of the nature of their relationship, Noctis could get away with sneaking into Ignis’s quarters with that excuse. Ever since their betrothal it was generally frowned upon, but it wasn’t as though anyone could really stop the crown prince in his own palace. Ignis, however, was scrutinized to a higher standard, as he knew better and was capable of feeling a semblance of shame.  

 

It wasn’t as though it was sexual in nature. They’d all lasted a few sleepless nights before Gladio had called each of them up at one in the morning, voice frustrated as he told them he was pulling his mattress and the spare one into the front room. The four of them shuffled into the dark of the apartment one by one, each settling into an open spot and sleeping far beyond the morning light. Whenever they had a spare night to see each other in any combination, it generally ended up in a sleepover. Ignis had become particularly good at curling his tall body into a tiny space, and now his bed felt too consuming and big. 

 

Ignis reached up and traced the hollows under his eyes gently, watching as Noctis leaned into the touch and closed his eyes to relish in it. 

 

“I don’t know anything about the wedding. About  _ my _ wedding to  _ you _ .” Noct admitted, voice softening in the intimacy of the moment. He opened his dark eyes once more, pinning Ignis with their concern. “I feel like I keep failing you. You have sacrificed so much to be with me and-”

 

“-Enough of that.” He cut him off, but it wasn’t sharp. “There is no sacrifice to be with you.” This time he did sit up, bringing Noctis in closer until they were wrapped up in the warmth of each other’s body heat, not holding, just breathing in the same space. “It is more than I could ever hope for to be able to be with you; that we have been allowed to have this.” He whispered. “I made the choice to be with you  _ because _ of you, not due to obligation or circumstance.”

 

Noctis was looking at him again with that pained, sad look. “But that doesn’t mean you should settle. I didn’t even realize…” Noct touched his jaw, following the curve back and trailing his fingertips down until they rested over Ignis’s heart. “Not only do you have your own work, but now you have to worry about arranging the perfect wedding.”

 

Ignis swallowed and the words were sucked out of his lungs. Suddenly, the last few weeks were coloured in a light that he had felt, but refused to fully acknowledge. Noct was right. This wedding felt like something too monumental to fuck up. It needed to be perfect, because he had something to prove; that a commoner could marry a prince and not fail. He’d been stressed and frustrated, because it felt like all eyes were watching him. Every decision would be scrutinized, every piece picked apart. 

 

“It’s not even fun, is it?” Noct guessed. “You  _ love _ organizing things.” 

 

“I do not  _ love _ organizing things.” Ignis blanched, feeling like this wasn’t some gentle teasing. Noctis was looking through him in a way that hadn’t made him uncomfortable in a long time.

 

“You have an attention to detail that I really admire.” Noct admitted. “And you care about this sort of stuff, so normally I’d just let you deal with it, but I think- no I want- you to rely on me.” 

 

Ignis took in a deep breath when he realized he felt a comforting warmth spread out from underneath Noctis’s hand. Suddenly, his chest was too full, and some sort of deeply tangled tension began to unravel from his muscles. The tasks that seemed a mile long, the numbered checklist that was broken down into even  _ more _ checklists, was not as daunting as it had been last night. Underneath all of the relief, he was sheepish. Why was it so hard to ask for help? Probably the same reason why Noctis thought he was a burden because of his station. 

 

He had fallen into the advisor role so easily, like he was made to look out for Noctis. He was good at it; he reveled in that fact. The dynamic between them was so strange, the balance of power so uneven. His life belonged to protecting and guiding the prince. Ignis had taken his duty so seriously, but he’d never realized he’d tangled duty and love until Noctis had brought it up. Now that love was possible, it was hard to separate the two. There would come a day, far too soon, when they were equal. When there were two kings; one by birth, the other by marriage- but just as much a king as the first.

 

Regis, bless him, had admitted to being slightly relieved by that. When Ignis knelt before Noctis’s father and told him, he’d been prepared to be thrown in jail. He’d broken so many rules, indulged in too much sin. He’d let his heart overrule his head. The king had every right to be furious that Ignis had abused his role as advisor. They both knew that Noctis was stubborn, but he also wasn’t cruel; Ignis had been the one to meet him halfway. Aside from being blindsided by the confession, he was never harassed to return Noctis’s feelings. 

 

_ “At least you know the role.” Regis had smiled down at him kindly, after a long pause to absorb what Ignis had informed him. _

 

He owed the king so much. 

 

“Do you remember… what Luna told you?” Noctis pulled him back to the present, and he straightened ever so slightly at the mention of Noct’s ex-fiance. 

 

Even though they’d been promised to each other at birth via arranged marriage, they were the dearest of friends. They would have married happily if not for Ignis, perhaps even produced an heir. Ignis hadn’t known that Luna knew about Noctis’s feelings for him until she met up with them in their journey to collect the Royal Arms. As the oracle, she had her own duties to perform, and so she was already travelling with her own entourage. She had joked that calling off a wedding deserved a face to face conversation, but she was far from upset. They’d been in contact thanks to Umbra and that secretive journal they shared back and forth. Luna had pulled Ignis to the side, in the time between the confession and the reciprocation, and spoken to him at length about Noctis. 

 

“She said that I already had enough people looking after me as the prince, but I needed someone to look after my heart.” Noctis chuckled softly in embarrassment for saying something so corny. “Well, I think it’s fair to ask the same in return, right?”

 

Ignis leaned in, morning breath be damned, and kissed him. It was a chaste thing; just a press of lips before he pulled back and smiled. “Then your first job is to fire that wedding planner.”

 

Noctis’s eyes widened comically. “What?!”

 

“I hate her.” Ignis felt vindicated just saying it out loud. “She’s terrible, and if I do it-”

 

“-Yeah, I know.” Noct sighed heavily, understanding without being told. “Okay. Find a new wedding planner.”

 

“And we still need a photographer.” Ignis reached over to his notebook and flipped it back to his to-do list. “And we have to choose what kind of centerpieces we want to match the colour theme.” He pushed his glasses back up his nose as he scrutinized the list. The sun was trying to peek through the thick drapes, and it was just enough to see his writing without turning on a lamp. 

 

Noct nudged his hip, signaling him to move over. They both leaned against the headboard, propping up pillows as they discussed the remainder of the list. 

 

“Prom will have an idea for a photographer; I think he’s got some friends with that publication he’s worked on.” Noct took the pen from Ignis’s hand and scribbled something beside the point. 

 

They worked on dividing the list, but the warmth of the bed and the gentle whispers were finally lulling Noctis into a relaxed doze. He was trying valiantly to stay awake, muttering things sleepily as he pointed them out. He’d been awake for too long, and seeing him so comfortable reminded Ignis of his own lack of sleep. Noctis had slid down until he was nearly horizontal, and Ignis had to hold back from yawning multiple times. 

He decisively closed the notebook, which woke Noctis up a little more. “I’m awake.”

 

“I’m not.” Ignis admitted, and it was the truth. 

 

He leaned over Noctis and put his glasses and notebook on the table. He also fired off a quick text to cancel his first appointment, after all, he had to wait for Noctis to have a free afternoon now to try out wedding cake. He slid back beneath the covers, pulling Noctis into the warm cocoon of his arms. Sleepy and relaxed, Noctis slid in until he was half lying on Ignis’s chest, fingers lazily tracing designs on his back. 

 

“I like this plan.” He breathed out after a yawn. “Divide and conquer.”

 

He could have felt more anxiety surrounding giving in and admitting he needed help, but he decided he was going to look at it exactly like how Noctis had said. This was a partnership, and it was the start of the rest of their lives; learning how to ‘divide and conquer’ anything in their path. 


End file.
